Regan Schenck tried to respond, but struggled to get the words out. Forty-eight hours earlier, she had been at the Tacoma Dome. Her brother Cage and the rest of the Woodinville Falcons played Richland for the State football Championship. She screamed all game long at the top of her lungs – and it ravaged her vocal chords.

Now, as she stood with a reporter two days later, her voice was reduced to a series of raspy squeaks.

In those final frantic moments, Jaden Sheffey dropped back to pass. The Woodinville quarterback flung the ball deep down the field. But when it nestled into the arms of Richland’s Adam Weissenfels, the Bomber defensive back ran a few steps before sliding to the Tacoma Dome turf. For the Richland Bombers, the State Championship celebration was on. For the Woodinville Falcons, a special season brimming with memories, came to an end.

Such was the scene in Tacoma last Saturday night. A statewide audience watched on ROOT-TV, as Richland held off Woodinville 28-21 in the 2017 Gridiron Classic. Richland finished the season 14-0, while Woodinville wrapped up at 13-1.

John Hamilton, defensive line coach The most fondness I felt this season, was when we started the playoffs and we invited the defensive line to my house on Mondays. We would review the previous game and look at film of our next opponent. I fed them dinner. And it was the [first and second string] that came. And the amount that I got to know them more [as people], I will never forget it.